Run-repairing multiple-needle hand tool



April 1930. w. H. LEAVIN 1,756,294

RUN REPAIRING MULTIPLE NEEDLE HAND TOOL Filed July 31, 1929 2Sheets-Sheet 1 k? i v 1 gwweubo'c Mm 15 2M 351 Gwen 2% Y g? April 29,1930. w. H. LEAVIN 1,756,294

RUN REPAIRING MULTIPLE NEEDLE HAND TOOL Filed July 31, 1929 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 29, 1930 UNITED STATES WILLIAM H. LEAVIN,OF NEW YORK, N.

FFICE.

Y., Assmnon 'ro dorm KN'ITBAC ma- CHINE CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE RUN-REPAIRING MULTIPLE-NEEDLE HAND TOOLApplication filed July 31,

This invention relates to a multiple needle hand tool for repairing runsin knitted fabric and has for its object the provision of a simple andeflicient hand tool having a plurality of needles for repairing runs ofone or more wales in width.

Another object is the provision of a multiple needle hand tool havingmeans for rendering ineffective some of said needles.

A further object includes the provision or a multiple needle hand toolwherein theneedles are arranged in staggered relation by one or morecourses.

A still further object embraces the provision, in a multiplee'needlehand tool, of a divider member tween adjacent needles which member (ormembers) act also as a stripper.

Other objects will appear hereinafter and I attain these objects byconstructions shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a hand tool having two needlesarranged in staggered relation and showing one of said needles raisedout of operative position;

' Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the construction shown in Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line I v3-3 of Fig. 1

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line H of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a form showing I an arrangement of threeneedles in staggered relation;

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of a construction showing threeneedles with dividers therebetween; Y Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectionalView of another form of construction;

Fig. 8 is a front view of a portion thereof showing the relation of thetwo needles with a divider therebetween;

Fig. 9'-is an elevational view of. construction showing a spring memberas the divider; Fig. 10 is a similar construction with the divider shownas a fin flexibly supported; 7

Fig. 11 is a front end view of the construction shown in Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a front elevation of a construe 1929. Serial No. 382,483.

tion showing one of the needles swingably supported; and

Fig. 13 is a more or less diagrammatic representation showing theapplication of the tool with two needles and divider in operativerelation with respect to a fabric in which a two wale run is beingrepaired.

Like reference numerals refer to similar parts wherever they appear.

It is one of the prime purposes of my in-' vention to provide a handtool having a plurality of needles for repairing runs in a fabric suchas hosiery and the like. It frequently happens in this typeof fabricthat a run starts in a row of stitches or a wale which soon developsinto a run of two wale width, or even wider. By my construction- Iam-enabled to quickly and efliciently repair runs of this type. i

The hand tool is so constructed that one or more of the plurality ofneedles can be adjusted into and out of operative position. Thus forexample, if a one wale run is to be repaired, I adjust the needles inmy'hand tool in such a position that only the fixed needle is operative.When now the two wale is encountered, I render operative one of theadjustable needles and so on through a three wale run or wider.

Various forms of construction may be devised to accomplish the purposeof adjustably holding one or more of the plurality of needles in thehand tool, specific examples of which will be more fully describedhereinafter.

It is also apparent that the run s of more than one wale may be repairedby arranging the needle in the hand tool in different positlons, thus,for example, the needles maybe arranged in staggered relation so thatthe needles themselves are off-set by a distance of one or more coursesof a knitted material whereby a wide run is repaired by the needlestaking u the stitches in succession. -Again, the need es may be placedside by side with a 95 divider therebetween so as to take care of runsof a plurality ofwales. The divider member itself mayassume variousforms so as to bear upon the cross threads ofthe run and thereby easethe fabric and prevent damage thereto, due to the action of theoperating needles. 7

Referring now to the drawings, wherein the specific forms suitable forcarrying out the purposes of my invention are disclosed by the way ofexample,

In Figs. 1 and 2 the multiple needle hand tool comprises a handle 10which may be substantially solid. In the lower part of the ham dle thereis fastened a fixed needle-'11. 12 represents a movable needle which hasan extension or stem 13 slidably held in the handle as shown. I haveprovided means for placing the needle into and out of operativeposition. In one form said means consists of a knob 14 whereby the stemand needle may be raised or lowered as occasion may re uire. Knob 14 andits attached stem remova ly operate in a slot 15.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a construction where three needles are used. Inthis construction, 11 represents a fixed needle, 16 the stem of one ofthe movable needles, and 17 the stem of the other movable needle. Saidmovable stem and attached needle are moved into and out of operativeposition by knobs 18 and 19 respectively. From the construction shown inFigs. 1 to 5 inclusive, it will be seen that the plurality of needles inthe tool are arranged in staggered relatipn so that one 7 needle willtake up one of the course threads before the next needle will take upsaid course of threads, thereby distributing the tension on the fabricand thus avoiding breaking or injuring the same.

In place of arranging theneedles in staggered relation for the purposeof avoiding injury to the fabric, I find that the needles may bearranged side by side so as to engage the same thread at the same timein a multiple Wale run. In this type of arrangement which is shown inFigures 6 to 12 inclusive, I provide a divider member to ease the threadof V the fabric. This. divider member may assume various shapes andforms and in a preferred form comprises an L-shaped member, the lowerend of which bears upon the fabric thread.

One form of divider is represented by the construction shown in Fig. 7at 20, where the head 21 is fastened onto the central stem 22 of thetool handle. The lower part of the dispaced relationby a spring 28-b'earing thereagainst so that normallythe needles are held in positionas shown in Figures 7 and 8. In

thistype ofconstruction one, of the needles 29 is rigidly held on theneedle stem and the other needle 30 is movably held on a pin 31 in saidstem. This pin therefore constitutes means for placing said needle intoor out of operative position by swinging the needle as indicated by thedotted line 32.

In Fig. 9 the flexible divider is disclosed. This divider member comrises a spring member 33 fastened ohto te divider arm 34, a

operated by the knob 14 as in the former construction.

In the type disclosed in Fig. 12 the fixed needle 11 is held on thecentral stem 13 by suitable means, such as screws 40 and the gn2ovableneedle 12' is swingably held on pivot In the type disclosed in Fig. 6there are shown three needles, of which, needle 11 is the fixed needleand needles 12 and 4.1 are removable. Betw'een adjacent needles dividermembers 42 of any one of the types heretofore described are placed.

In Fig. 13 there is disclosed suitable holder 44 over which the fabric45 is held or stretched in such a manner that the threads 47 of the runare taken up by the needle and held by the divider member 46. The holdermay be in the form of a cup shaped member, or it may assume other formshaving therein a depression into which the needles 11 and 12 dip whenthe goods are repaired.

What I seek to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a multiple needle run repairing hand tool, a handle, a pluralityof needles projecting from one end of said handle and means whereby allbut one of said needles may be placed out of operative position.

2. In a multiple needle run re airing hand tool, a plurality of needlespro ecting from said handle, one of said needles being permanentlyfastened in said handle and means for fastening the other of saidneedles, m'ovably in said handle.

3. In a multiple needle run repairing hand tool, a handle, incombination with a plurality of needles and a divider member betweenadjacent needles. Y

. 4. In a multiple needle run repairing hand tool, a handle, incombination with a plurality of needles, a divider member between adja'cent needles, and means for raising the point of some of said needlesoutof operative'position.

5. In a multiple needle run repairing hand tool, a handle, incombination with a plurality of needles, a divider member betweenadjacent needles, said divider member having a foot and said needlesprovided with a hook d1sposed in substantially the same plane and meanswhereby the relative position of the divider foot and said needle hooksmay be displaced.

6. In a multiple needle run repairing hand tool, a handle, incombination with a'plurality of needles, a divider member betweenadjacent needles, said di-vider member having a foot and said needlehaving a hook and means for dipping the hook of the needles beneath thefoot of the divider.

' 7 In a multiple needle run repairing hand tool, a handle, incombination with a plurality of needles, a divider member betweenadjacent needles, said divider member having a foot and said needlehaving a hook, and means for 1 movin the hook, said divider bearing uponthe we threads when the run is repaired.

8. A hand tool for repairing runs in knitted fabric comprising a handlehaving therein a' plurality of needles and a divider member having afoot and means whereby the foot and needle are moved relatively.

9. A hand tool for repairing runs in knitted fabric comprising a handlehaving therein 39 a plurality of needles and means for moving one ofsaid needles with respect to the other of said needles.

10. A hand tool for repairing runs in knitted fabric comprising aplurality of needles as disposed side b side, a handle for moving saidneedles an means whereby some of said needles may be moved relativelywith respect to others. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set a myhand on this 27th day of July, A. D. 1929.

v WILLIAM H. LEAVIN.

